Fishermen Rescued From Overturned Boat

A perfect autumn morning fishing trip quickly turned sour for two men who had to be rescued after their vessel overturned south of Wybung Headland off the NSW Coast.

The men who were aged in their late 20s and early 30s respectively were thrown into the water when their small aluminium boat overturned shortly before 11am on Thursday. They were spotted drifting around 300 metres south of Wybung Headland by a member of the public who alerted emergency services.

The State Operations Centre became aware of the incident after being alerted by NSW Police who requested assistance from surf lifesaving assets.

A jet ski manned by Australian Lifeguard Service personnel was dispatched from nearby Fraser beach and was on-scene within 15 minutes.

It wasn’t immediately clear how the vessel overturned.

One of the men had suffered serious lacerations during the incident and he was taken to shore first where he was assessed by waiting paramedics and police officers.

The jet ski returned for the second man who insisted on remaining with the boat while the rescue was underway.

He too was assessed by the medical officers, but was given a clean bill of health. The first man wasn’t so lucky as his condition deteriorated on-shore, and he was later transported to hospital for further treatment.

NSW Life Saving Manager Andy Kent praised the men for wearing lifejackets, saying it played an important part in the rescue.

“This rescue is a timely reminder of the importance of wearing lifejackets while out on the water, and the fact that these men were wearing them made a tricky situation much easier to deal with.

“The men were on-shore and being treated within 20 minutes of the incident, and we are delighted that this rescue had a good outcome for all involved. It also highlights how effective communication between the responders can play a part in a positive outcome in a rescue,” Mr Kent said.